Japan Diaries | first solo trip, slow days exploring Kyoto

I’ve been interested in Japan for most of my life. Whenever I was at a crossroads, I considered dropping everything and trying to live there for as long as I could.

This is my first true solo trip. (I don’t count business travel). I think being able to shape the trip to whatever I wanted (or needed) in that moment made it the perfect first trip to Japan.

Rather than offering an exhaustive guide to Japan, I want these vlogs to capture the essence of my experience — slow, intentional, and filled with moments of genuine discovery. I see them as a visual scrapbook, a reflection of the continuous joy found in every corner of the adventure. Hopefully, that feeling comes across to you, as well.

0:00 intro
0:12 Day 1 (LAX ✈ Haneda; Tokyo ✈ Kyoto)
0:58 Check in to Hotel Kanra Kyoto
1:48 Hotel room tour
5:00 Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
6:51 Monkey Park Iwatayama
10:31 Nintendo Kyoto
11:08 Nishiki Market
13:00 Kōdaiji Temple and Yasaka Jinja Shrine
14:13 Dinner at La Bombance Gion

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PLACES ✨

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Bread, Espresso and Arashiyama Garden “ESPRESSO &”
Monkey Park Iwatayama
Nintendo KYOTO
Nishiki Market
THE CITY BAKERY Daimarukyoto
Kōdaiji Temple
Yasaka Jinja Shrine
La Bombance Gion

Full itinerary (with links) on my blog:

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filmed and edited by Gemma Acheampong
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GEAR »
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
DJI Osmo Pocket 3
DJI Osmo Action 4

COPYRIGHT-FREE MUSIC »
Epidemic Sound: https://share.epidemicsound.com/jbk8e1 (7-day free trial)

SOFTWARE »
Final Cut Pro X
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CONTACT for business inquiries & collaborations: activelygemma@gmail.com

FTC ‣ This video is not sponsored. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may receive a percentage of the revenue made from purchasing products through this link.

#JapanVlog #Kyoto #Arashiyama #SoloTravel